News – Wednesday, December 11th 2024
The Dent County Opioid Settlement Committee held a meeting Thursday evening at 6:00 in the Dent County Associate Courtroom. After reading and approving the minutes from the previous meeting, the board discussed priorities for funding as well as the amount that an organization can request. With around $324,000 in the budget, the board decided not to set a limit on how much or how little an organization may request. The county priority areas will include: transportation, re-entry services, and community support services including social and legal services. For a full list of priorities, prospective applicants can visit the MRPC website at https://www.meramecregion.org. The first deadline to submit applications for funding is January 15, 2025. The Board will require applicants to attend the committee meeting on January 30 for discussion and further questions. For additional questions, applicants can contact Lieutenant Rick Letchworth at rickletchworth@dentcountysheriff.org
The annual “Shop with a Cop” was held Saturday at Wal-Mart and it was a huge success. They were able to help bring a Merry Christmas to 48 children in our community which is eight more children than last year!! A special thank you to the Dent County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Missouri Division of Fire Safety-investigations for shopping with the kids. A special thank you goes out to Wal-Mart for helping coordinate the event and help it run smooth. Finally a big thank you to this community who donated so those children could have a good Christmas.
It seems black bears are making the news in the St. Louis region each spring as they are beginning to show up more and more in the area. Since bears are becoming a more common part of the Missouri landscape, especially if travelling to the southern parts of the state, it makes sense to learn more about them. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a chance to do just that through an online class. Missouri Black Bears is a free virtual program happening Friday, Dec 13, from 3 – 4:30 p.m. MDC naturalists will cover the most important information Missouri residents should know about the Show-Me-State’s expanding bear population. Once considered extirpated from the state, Missouri black bears are beginning to make an impressive comeback. This program will explore the complicated history of these fascinating mammals, and the research efforts which are helping them return to their former range. It will also discuss how to reduce human-bear conflict as their numbers continue to grow. This virtual program is free and open to the public, however each participant must register separately in advance at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Kb to receive an online meeting link. Log in instructions will be provided to participants beforehand. The program will be held via Webex and participants will have the chance to use the chat feature for a Question and Answer portion with the naturalists. Sign up for email or text alerts to stay informed of MDC’s latest programs and events by going to short.mdc.mo.gov/ZoP.
An accident occurred in Dent County Tuesday morning at approximately 8:30 on Highway EE three miles south of Highway 32. According to the Highway Patrol Report, a 2002 International Dump Truck, driven by a 62-year-old Licking male, and a 2006 Sterling Dump Truck, driven by a 74-year-old Jadwin male, struck each other, causing the Sterling’s mirror to strike the driver. The man suffered minor injuries and was transported to Salem Memorial Hospital by a private conveyance. The report stated that there was minor damage to both trucks, and they were driven from the scene and that both drivers were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident.
The Creative Arts Center in Salem will hold a class on making Ceramic Christmas Trees Friday night, December 13th from 6:00 to 8:00 with Danielle Norris in the pottery room. Students can come and glaze your very own keepsake 10-inch Christmas tree! Create a beautiful display piece that can be passed down from generation to generation. The cost is $30 for trees without lights, and $36 with lights. You may paint and take the night of, or glaze and pick up another time. The class is open to those 12 years of age and older. All supplies are included. There must at least four people sign up to hold the class and it will be limited to 12. To sign up, go to the SACBA website, click on “Programs” link and then on the Creative Arts Center.